Power supply control device, power supply control method, and computer program

Abstract

A power supply control device controls the supply of power via a switch circuit and a relay contact. If the semiconductor switches are on and the relay contact is off, when a switch temperature of the switch circuit is at least a relay ON-threshold, the relay contact is switched on, and the semiconductor switches are switched off. If the semiconductor switches are off and the relay contact is on, when a switch temperature of the switch circuit is lower than a relay OFF-threshold, the semiconductor switches are switched on, and the relay contact is switched off. The relay OFF-threshold is not more than the relay ON-threshold.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A power supply control device configured to control supply of power via a switch circuit including a semiconductor switch and a relay contact connected in parallel to the switch circuit, the power supply control device comprising:
 a first determination unit configured to determine whether or not a switch temperature of the switch circuit is at least a first threshold when the semiconductor switch is on and the relay contact is off; 
 a first switching unit configured to, if the first determination unit has determined that the switch temperature is at least the first threshold, switch on the relay contact and switch off the semiconductor switch; 
 a second determination unit configured to determine whether or not the switch temperature is lower than a second threshold that is not more than the first threshold when the semiconductor switch is off and the relay contact is on; and 
 a second switching unit configured to, if the second determination unit has determined that the switch temperature is lower than the second threshold, switch on the semiconductor switch and switch off the relay contact. 
 
     
     
       2. The power supply control device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the semiconductor switch is an FET, and 
 the switch temperature is a temperature at a drain of the semiconductor switch. 
 
     
     
       3. The power supply control device according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an electric current detection unit configured to detect an electric current flowing through the switch circuit; and 
 a temperature calculation unit configured to calculate the switch temperature based on the electric current detected by the electric current detection unit. 
 
     
     
       4. The power supply control device according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein a number of semiconductor switches of the switch circuit is two, 
 a source of one of the semiconductor switches is connected to a source of the other of the semiconductor switches, 
 the relay contact is connected between drains of the two semiconductor switches, and 
 the switch temperature is the higher one of the temperatures at the drains of the two semiconductor switches. 
 
     
     
       5. The power supply control device according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 an electric current detection unit configured to detect an electric current flowing through the switch circuit; and 
 a temperature calculation unit configured to calculate the switch temperature based on the electric current detected by the electric current detection unit. 
 
     
     
       6. The power supply control device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an electric current detection unit configured to detect an electric current flowing through the switch circuit; and 
 a temperature calculation unit configured to calculate the switch temperature based on the electric current detected by the electric current detection unit. 
 
     
     
       7. The power supply control device according to  claim 6 , comprising:
 a temperature detection unit configured to detect an ambient temperature of the switch circuit, 
 wherein the temperature calculation unit includes a temperature difference calculation unit configured to chronologically calculate a temperature difference between the ambient temperature and the switch temperature of the switch circuit, 
 the temperature difference calculation unit calculates the temperature difference based on the electric current detected by the electric current detection unit and a preceding temperature difference that was calculated in advance, and 
 the switch temperature is calculated by adding the temperature difference calculated by the temperature difference calculation unit to the ambient temperature detected by the temperature detection unit. 
 
     
     
       8. A power supply control method for controlling supply of power via a switch circuit including a semiconductor switch and a relay contact connected in parallel to the switch circuit, the method comprising:
 a step of determining whether or not a switch temperature of the switch circuit is at least a first threshold when the semiconductor switch is on and the relay contact is off; 
 a step of, if it is determined that the switch temperature is at least the first threshold, switching on the relay contact and switching off the semiconductor switch; 
 a step of determining whether or not the switch temperature is lower than a second threshold that is not more than the first threshold when the semiconductor switch is off and the relay contact is on; and 
 a step of, if it is determined that the switch temperature is lower than the second threshold, switching on the semiconductor switch and switching off the relay contact. 
 
     
     
       9. A computer program product for causing a computer to control supply of power via a switch circuit including a semiconductor switch and a relay contact connected in parallel to the switch circuit, the computer program product including a non-transitory, machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by at least one programmable processor, caused at least one programmable processor to execute:
 a step of determining whether or not a switch temperature of the switch circuit is at least a first threshold when the semiconductor switch is on and the relay contact is off; 
 a step of, if it is determined that the switch temperature is at least the first threshold, switching on the relay contact and switching off the semiconductor switch; 
 a step of determining whether or not the switch temperature is lower than a second threshold that is not more than the first threshold when the semiconductor switch is off and the relay contact is on; and 
 a step of, if it is determined that the switch temperature is lower than the second threshold, switching on the semiconductor switch and switching off the relay contact.